Cancelling a van booking: rules, deadlines and how to do it

Rules and deadlines for cancelling a van booking

Cancelling a van booking with us is free up to 72 hours before the rental starts. Until then there's nothing to sort out and nothing extra to pay. Once this deadline has passed, we treat the booking as binding.

How the deadline is calculated

What counts is the time your booking is for, not the date you made it. The three days are counted back from the hour when you're due to pick up the vehicle. If you're setting off on Friday at eight in the morning, you can cancel for free until eight on Tuesday morning.

Don't rely on the last hour

It's better to leave yourself some margin. If you know on Sunday that the date won't work, there's no point waiting until Tuesday. What's more, the van becomes available to someone else who happens to be looking for one.

What counts is the rental start time, not the pick-up day

Your booking shows the exact time the rental starts. The deadline is based on that. So if you're mentally shifting the time by a few hours, it can make the difference between a free cancellation and one after the deadline.

Cancelling a booking and not turning up are not the same

A vehicle that isn't picked up doesn't free itself up. If you decide not to go, let us know — even after the deadline. The van can then go to someone else and the matter is closed for you. Silence doesn't help anyone and only makes things worse.

Money goes back where it came from

Payment is made online by card, so the refund goes back to the same card. We don't accept cash, so there are no payouts at a branch. How long it takes to reach your account depends on your bank and normally takes a few days.

A deposit doesn't complicate cancellation

You don't pay a deposit with us and nothing is blocked on your card. That removes the most common problem with cancellations, where the customer waits weeks for a blocked amount to be released. Only the booking itself needs to be dealt with.

You don't need to cancel because of opening hours

A common reason for cancelling simply disappears. People cancel bookings because they can't make it during working hours. We operate around the clock and pick-up is contactless through the web app, so you can collect the van in the evening or at the weekend too.

No account to delete

Because you don't create a user account with us, there's nothing to delete. Cancelling the booking is the end of it. You can check the terms at any time in the FAQ.

What to do when the date is getting close

Get in touch even if it's late

If there are less than 72 hours to go before the rental starts, let us know anyway. A booking that is neither cancelled nor picked up is the worst outcome for both sides. The specific conditions for later cancellation are governed by the terms and conditions you accepted when confirming the booking.

Consider rescheduling instead of cancelling

Sometimes you don't need to cancel, just move the booking. If it's only that your move is being postponed by a day, ask about changing the date before you cancel. It depends on the van's availability, but it's often the easier route.

The driver can be changed without cancelling

If you can't go but someone else can, there's no need to cancel the booking. Only the person named in the contract may drive, so you just need to register the replacement in time and provide their documents — a category B driving licence and a second proof of identity.

Book realistically

The best cancellation is the one you never have to deal with. Before confirming a booking, check three things: that your date is certain, that you have helpers and that you have somewhere to drive the van to. Most cancellations happen because one of these wasn't arranged.

Check who will be driving before you book

The second most common reason for cancelling is the driver. The vans have a manual gearbox, so you can't drive them with a licence restricted to automatics. Checking this the day before is easier than dealing with a cancellation a few hours before pick-up.

Don't book two dates "just in case"

Blocking two vans for two possible days doesn't pay off. Meanwhile the vehicle is unavailable to someone who definitely needs it, and you end up cancelling one date anyway. It's better to wait a day and book once you're sure.

Consider changing the van instead of cancelling

Sometimes the problem is just the size. If you find your load won't fit in the van you chose, you don't need to cancel and make a new booking — ask whether another van is free for your date. That solves the real issue and you don't have to watch any deadlines.

Check the van type in advance

Some cancellations happen simply because the customer chose the wrong size. You'll find the load floor dimensions and payload, which usually ranges between 1 100 and 1 450 kg depending on the model, in our fleet. And other customers' experiences in the reviews.